The Sound Of Music

Wolverhampton Grand

****

WHEN one thinks
of The Sound of Music,
it is hard not to imagine singing children, the mountains of Austria and
of course, Julie Andrews.

I must confess that I have never seen the film,
but even without being a part of the fan club; I am no stranger to the
famous ‘Do-Re-Me’ and ‘The Hills are Alive’ tunes. The 1965 film is
iconic in its own right and it is easy to see an excitement that comes
with it from the audience before entering the auditorium.

Perhaps I belong to the minority, but for those
like me who are unfamiliar with the story, we follow the life of Maria
Rainer, a ‘nun in training’ not yet ready to take vows

She lives in the local village Abbey, but Maria’s
sisters are concerned about her larger than life character and doubt
that she is fit for the cloth. Mother Superior then sends Maria on a
mission to become the nanny to seven children of the local family whose
father is always away on business.

There she meets stubborn Captain von Trapp and
his children, who have forgotten how to have fun. With the help of
Maria, the children learn to sing again and have a new source of life
and love. The story is also set in Austria in the late 1930s and
connotations of the Nazi regime are the driving force that completes the
story.

Gary McCann’s design was a multi-purpose feast
for the eyes that allowed the audience’s imagination to grow. Flats of
great sizes flew down, which created slick and fast changes of scenes,
mainly within the Abbey and Captain von Trapp’s lordly home. McCann
captured the imagination of the audience
to keep with the show’s fairy-tale qualities.

The colours of stained glass windows were
remarkable and were easily changed into the scenes within the Von
Trapp’s home. No matter where the eye wondered, there was always a mark
of detail. There was a grand staircase with gold highlights and the
shiniest floor.

The set integrated very well with Bill Deamer’s
choreography. The most impressive scene design was seen within the
marriage scene between Maria and von Trapp. Layers of flats were brought
down to create a grand perspective of the depth and scale of the Abbey.

Annie Horn as Liesl and Kane Verrall
as Rolf Gruber

With the size and impeccable attention to detail,
it was almost as if the audience could imagine themselves as part of the
ceremony. McCann’s costumes were also an asset to the grandeur of
telling the story.

Of course the sweet
little story wouldn’t be complete without the score of Rodgers and
Hammerstein. The iconic numbers from the original production and film
were beautifully reflected with the impressive talent from Lucy O’Byrne
as Maria. O’Byrne was runner-up in the BBC’s The Voice UK.
Her wonderful musical talent linked with theatrical training meant that
she was a natural to fulfil the joyful character of lovely Maria.
O’Byrne also did a great job in leading the cast of seven children, made
up of fantastic little performers who were always in top-form. In bouncy
songs such as ‘Do-Re-Me’, ‘Lonely Goatherd’ and ‘So Long, Farewell’, the
children displayed remarkable performance qualities, with perfectly
controlled choreography and beautiful harmonies. They were all a delight
to watch.

Captain von Trapp was
played by Andrew Lancel, who is probably best known for his portrayal of
Villain of the Year
Frank Foster in Coronation Street.
At first we saw him as the stubborn and regimented father, who used a
whistle to hail everyone in the house. With the arrival of Maria, he
opened up to love and remembered how to be happy again. Lancel is more
than impressive and holds a great RP accent.

His rendition of ‘Edelweiss’ is something to be
remembered. The closing of each act was given to Jan Hartley who played
Mother Abbess. Her beautiful soprano voice was enough to bring tears to
the eyes and uplifted the entire audience as a beautiful wrap-up to each
act. Hartley’s voice was the icing on the cake to an already touching
piece of theatre. Musical Director David Steadman brought every
fantastic element together to make the performance shine. The orchestra
were a brilliant addition that highlighted the talent and brevity of all
on stage.

Director Martin Connor has a very good eye for
detail and gave the audience a show of delight and nostalgia. He was
willing to personalise the iconic story and made the sweet show seem
effortless on stage. He pays homage to the beautiful score of Rodgers
and Hammerstein and allows the cast to use their talents to the best of
their ability sparking the imagination of the audience from beginning to
end. To 08-10-16.

Elizabeth Halpin

04-10-16

And from the foothills . . .

*****

THIS is a musical that climbs every
mountain and reaches peaks of pleasure.

Based on the true story of Austria’s von Trapp
family, the 1959 musical was turned into a brilliant movie, and the
touring stage version seems to improve as it moves around the country.

Impressively staged, the show is packed with all
the big moments enjoyed by cinema-goers, losing out only on the
magnificent scenery and, perhaps, some of the nail-biting menace of the
Nazis and their supporters at the start of World War II.

A terrific cast, well
costumed, deliver all the big numbers with aplomb….and Jan Hartley,
playing Mother Abbess, deserves special praise for the emotional Climb Ev’ry Mountain
at the end of the first act. She earns a memorable ovation for that.

Lucy O’Byrne, runner-up
in the BBC’s The Voice UK,
is a delight as Maria, the abbey postulant who seems to be failing in
her desire to be a nun and is sent to take another check on life outside
as governess to the seven mischievous children of retired naval hero
Captain von Trapp, a widower determined to bring up his youngsters with
military-style discipline.

There is a fine
performance too, from Andrew Lancel, as the stern Captain, all set to
marry the rich and glamorous Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Lucy Van Gasse),
and the former Coronation Street
and The Bill star is convincing as he finds himself drawn
to the fun-loving Maria, and he sings well, too.

Lucy and Andrew have
the audience on the edge of their seats as they sing Edelweiss
with the children at a concert used as a decoy to allow the family to
escape before the brave Captain is forced to take command of a German
warship.

The nuns in the cast, Kate Joyce-Scott, Zoe Ann
Brown and Tammy Davies are excellent, while the seven children sing, act
and drill joyfully.

Another special moment
in a fine show comes with young Liesl (Annie Holland) and Rolf (Kane
Verrall) singing and dancing to Sixteen
Going on Seventeen.

Directed by Martin Connor with David Steadman’s
skilful musical direction, The Sound of Music plays on to 08.10.16.